Digital Gee

Distance: 10.38 miles

Location: Kensington (land-locked neighborhood -- no through traffic)

Conditions: 64 degrees, wind calm

Adjustments: Moved saddle back about half a centimeter. (Thanks, jppe!)

Results: Much less knee pain, although I felt some at the beginning, by the end of the ride it was essential non-existant. Hand pain also reduced from yesterday, which may be a result of getting conditioned and used to the bar.

I'm tempted to adjust the bar one more time, so that the tops are absolutely parallel with the street, not leaning down in front.

Kensington is a neighborhood that has no through traffic -- just people leaving and coming home. There is an oval loop nearly a mile long that has but one stop sign -- and that one is easy to blow through because it's very easy to see if there is any on-coming traffic. This means I could keep riding The Diego for several miles without stopping -- what a pleasure that was!

Also, and I realize this is going to sound foo foo, but I feel different on this bike than on the Cypress or the 3900. On those bikes, it's like I'm ON those bikes, riding. On The Diego, it's like the bike is part of me, or vice versa, or something. Aside from getting it dialed in, the bike is almost "invisible" from a perceptual point of view. I mean, I almost don't sense it being there. I don't know, I can't explain it.

So I have to admit that road biking is really fun. And I'm *this much closer* to having The Diego dialed in.

By the way, I'm having no problems whatsoever getting accustomed to the saddle.

BSLeVan

That's why I ride a road bike and love my high end road bike. I've never been in an airborne glider, but when I hit the sweeping turns on a good road bike, I suspect it feels similar.

stapfam

So you are getting dialled in. About time too as you've had the bike long enough. Great when the bike is an extension of you though. I have got used to compact frames and that is how I feel on them. Since getting the road bike sorted, I am beginning to enjoy it. BUT I had to change saddles on the road bike. Yet another for the Saddle freaks to try and it is a Selle San Marco "Aero". Bit more padding and a good cutaway for the pelvic bine. I tried the OM saddle out with it being about 1 cm further back and it definitely eased the hands, but I ran into that pelvic bone problem. The new Saddle seems to have cured that though.

Now when is the century planned?

Beverly

That's not fair. It's 35 degrees here with 22 mph winds That puts the wind chill down around 23 degrees and that's below my 25 degree cutoff


It makes such a big difference once you get that bike dialed in correctly. It took me almost 5 months of tweaking before I felt 100% comfortable on mine but I think the last trip to the LBS fixed all my problems. Now if the weather would just cooperate I could get back out there and do some more riding.

Glad you're having success getting the Diego setup. Soon you'll be signing up for tours, centuries, etc

BluesDawg

You're hooked now, dude. Resistance is futile.

NotAsFat

There's nothing quite like a properly-fitted road bike. Takes a bit of work to get them completely dialed in, once you do, they're fantastic.

Cassave

It's said Eddie Mercyx used to get up in the middle of the night and make miniscule adjustments
to his bike for the next day's riding.

Fine tuning and dialing in never ends.

DnvrFox

That's what we've been trying to tell you the last couple of years! (Join Date: 06-05-05)

Glad you finally got there.

jppe

Get the bars you way you like them-otherwise you'll always be thinking about it everytime you ride.

Also, how are the hoods? Are they "high enough" up on the bars or are they pushed too far forward towards the very front of the hoods. They are adjustable as well-but you do have to unwrap the bar tape. The trend these days is to have the hoods closer to you instead of pushed towards the front of the drops, or the old racing position.

CaptDon

AHHhhhhhhh, San Diego....... We're moving back to the area this summer. We've had it with winters and not being able to ride all year. Will be looking forward to getting involved with some group rides once we get there.

Don and Deb

stapfam

Are you certain its safe to go back there? I've heard there is a maniac on the loose that rides his new bike all over the place. Evenheard he drinks 3 day old coffee and that he cross chains aswell.

Now if you find some group rides- make certain to contact DG- I've seen some of the groups that he hankers after riding with when he is out on his cruiser and he does need saving from that group. They look a bit too fit for him and he wouldn't last out the hour if they got hold of him.

centexwoody 

DG is the organizing chair of all rides less than 10 miles long that must then be ridden over and over and over to achieve any significant mileage. The club is the San Diego RIAC (Rats In A Cage) but be aware they only sponsor fair weather rides.

Maybe the Diego will allow the Digital Gee to branch out from his neighborhood fun runs to see more of the county...

maddmaxx 

From some of the scenery we have observed in previous posts I'm not at all sure that repeating sections of the ride is all that bad a thing......

centexwoody 

astute observation - however aren't all the routes in San Diego adorned with the same?

maddmaxx 

No, some are adorned by sailors.